Royal Caribbean’s Labadee suspension remained firmly in place as the cruise line’s Adventure of the Seas made a brief, unscheduled stop at the private Haitian destination, not to disembark guests, but to drop off humanitarian relief supplies and collect deck furniture for use elsewhere in its fleet.
The moment was captured by a guest named Matthew, who shared a photo of Labadee port being loaded with supplies during an evening call. ‘The ship picked up 50 deck chairs (same ones at Cococay/royal beach club?) and dropped off supplies for humanitarian relief. Was crazy to finally go back and see Labadee, especially at night,’ Matthew wrote.
Royal Caribbean Labadee Suspension Extends Through 2026 and Into 2027
Royal Caribbean has confirmed that all guest visits to Labadee, its private destination on Haiti’s northern coast, are suspended for the remainder of 2026. The line has also notified guests on select 2027 sailings that Labadee will not feature on their itineraries, with alternative ports substituted in its place.
In an email to guests booked on a February 14, 2027 sailing, the cruise line confirmed the change: ‘We’ve reviewed our sailing plans and made an adjustment to the ports of call we will visit. Instead of visiting Labadee, we’ll now enjoy a day in Costa Maya, Mexico. We’ll arrive at 8:00 AM and depart at 5:00 PM. Additionally, we’ll now visit Cozumel, Mexico, from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM instead of Falmouth, Jamaica.’
On its travel updates page, Royal Caribbean stated: ‘We have suspended all visits to Labadee for the remainder of 2026, as we continue to monitor the situation with our Global Security and Intelligence team. Please know that the safety and comfort of our guests are always our highest priority.’ The line apologised for the impact on guests’ holiday plans and said all itinerary modifications are being communicated directly to affected guests ahead of their sailings.
Sailings to Labadee at least six ships are affected by cancellations in 2027, according to the original reporting. Royal Caribbean is, however, still accepting bookings for Labadee itineraries in 2028, keeping the destination’s webpage live and its description intact.
Haiti’s Security Situation and the Level 4 Advisory
The security backdrop makes any near-term resumption of scheduled calls unlikely. Haiti has carried a ‘Level 4: Do Not Travel’ advisory from the U.S. State Department since 2024, when it was last raised to its current level, and that rating has not changed since. Haiti has also been under a national state of emergency since March 2024, according to the State Department.
The restrictions extend to U.S. government personnel. According to NJ.com, U.S. governmental employees are not permitted to travel outside the U.S. Embassy in Haiti for non-essential reasons, and family members are barred from joining U.S. government staff posted in the country because of those same risks. The combination of the state of emergency and the sustained Level 4 classification leaves the cruise industry with no realistic pathway to resume commercial calls while the advisory remains in place.
Labadee sits on Haiti’s northern coast and has long been one of Royal Caribbean’s most popular private-island calls, valued for its beaches, coral reefs and excursion offering that includes a half-mile zip line over the ocean. Royal Caribbean’s own website continues to describe it as a destination where ‘beachside meets mountainside,’ pitching it to guests as part of the Western Caribbean portfolio. That the page remains live, and that 2028 itineraries are still bookable, signals that the cruise line has not written off a return, even if the timeline remains open-ended.
Guest Reaction to the Humanitarian Stop
Among those on board the Adventure of the Seas sailing, the brief call at Labadee generated an overwhelmingly positive response, with many passengers expressing hope that the destination will eventually return to the scheduled roster.
‘The water and beach at Labadee were a top fave for us, so stunning. The staff was incredible, and we even did an open ocean swim off a small yacht as our excursion was unreal. I hope things get worked out,’ one fellow cruiser wrote.
Others tied the closure directly to its economic impact on local workers. ‘It’s too bad they don’t stop there anymore. I actually booked a cruise in February because it was on the itinerary, but they changed the itinerary two weeks ago. I was looking forward to it, and I know the people there need the work,’ another passenger commented. A third added: ‘I hope RCI can find a way to make it work and reopen it; it’s such a gem and helps a lot of the locals who worked there.’
For now, Royal Caribbean’s Labadee suspension remains in force, with the U.S. State Department’s Level 4 advisory the clearest indicator of when, or whether, commercial calls can realistically resume.
